Bluegills

ARTICLES ABOUT BLUEGILLS BY DATE - PAGE 2

Japan has great news for the pinkie finger of Mayor Richard Daley in the embarrassing diplomatic incident known as the Illinois Bluegill Fiasco of Japan. The mayoral pinkie finger is safe. "We are not asking for any apology at all," an official at the Japanese Consulate in Chicago told me Wednesday. "There is great friendship between Japan and Chicago and the mayor and his late father. The situation with the bluegills is indeed unfortunate. But the friendship between Japan and Chicago remains strong."

Kristi Takasaki reeled steadily and the bluegill she hooked wiggled through the water. Her 4-year-old dog Lindy went crazy, barking and yipping as he sprinted from one end of the dock to the other. I don't speak dog, but it was clear Lindy was excited. He was alerting the neighbors and much of the county, "Fish on." As the fish got closer to shore, Lindy became more frenzied. The only question was whether he would go off the deep end. Literally. I have seen dogs on point for pheasant in the grass, but I don't think I ever had seen a dog on point at the end of a pier staring down a fish.

SPOT, RATE, QUICK HIT Lake Michigan (Chicago/Ind.) . 1/2 Try soft shell on spinners for best perch bite. Also hitting on large fatheads or baby roaches in harbors. To find, look for feeding schools. Lake Michigan (Waukegan) . Go south in 120 feet of water to find salmon; depth varies, but early morning best. Blue-colored spoons work. Perch in 40 feet of water. Perch from shore: South Rocks and Govt. Pier with small shiners, soft shells, little jigs or spoons. No salmon off shore.